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Germicidal textiles for hospitals

#bacteria #hospital infections #materials #medicine #virus

A new process developed by Swiss researchers makes textiles germicidal. In future, this could be used to coat curtains in hospitals.

A hospital room with two beds divided by a curtain

According to the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), this could break chains of infection in which multi-resistant bacteria or viral pathogens settle on hospital curtains and can then be spread by humans.

In the new coating process, a disinfectant containing benzalkonium chloride is evenly applied to the hospital curtains. After Empa researchers, together with experts from the chemical company BASF, Spiez Laboratory and the Technical University of Berlin, had optimised the concentration, exposure time, processing pressure and drying, the coating adhered stably to the textiles.

Against bacteria and viruses

According to Empa, the coating proved to be effective in laboratory tests. Coated textile samples inhibited the growth of staphylococci and pseudomos bacteria, two typical hospital germs.

The coating was also active against viral pathogens: over 99 per cent of the viruses tested were killed by the coated fabric samples. The coatings remained effective even after several months of storage.

This allows for production in stock. In future, the new process could also be used to quickly and safely antimicrobialise other textiles or filters and cleaning utensils as required, for example in the event of an emerging epidemic.

Written by: sda

Photos: Keystone

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Carlos Sanchez

A smart path into a sustainable future

Sustainability is no longer a distant dream but a present and pressing reality. Climate change and environmental degradation are forcing companies to take action. They must innovate and implement smart sustainability solutions, says Carlos Sanchez, a renowned sustainability visionary who shared with us the latest sustainability trends that can help build robust, resilient, and sustainable businesses.
September 28th, 2023
Mechanics performing maintenance work on an aircraft

Researchers make non-recyclable plastic recyclable

Swiss researchers have developed a new type of recyclable plastic that could be used in aircraft, cars or wind turbines in the future.
October 2nd, 2023
Recycled asphalt was used on the Lucmanier Pass

More recycled asphalt on Swiss roads

Tests with recycled asphalt on Swiss roads show promising results. In Uster ZH and on the Lukmanier Pass GR, the proportion of recycled asphalt could be increased without any loss of performance, according to Empa.
October 16th, 2023
a photovoltaic system on a house facade

Sun soon to be the most important source of energy

The sun is likely to become the world's most important source of energy before 2050, according to British scientists. This is the result of an analysis of technological and economic data by the University of Exeter and University College London.
November 27th, 2023
G.V. Shivashankar arbeitet am PSI und der ETH Zürich

Fountain of youth for cells

Reprogrammed cells allow wounds in older people to heal faster. This could, for example, help burn victims.
January 1st, 2024
A scientist taking a water sample with a bottle

Gentle identification of fish species through their DNA

Identifying fish species in a river using DNA traces: This method was tested in Switzerland. It proved to be simpler and more reliable than the electrofishing method used to date.
January 15th, 2024
pressed plastic bottles

Microplastics fly particularly far and high

Microplastic fibres fly higher and further than previously assumed - even as far as the Arctic.
January 22nd, 2024
A futuristic aircraft with a blended wing body

Aircraft of the future make less noise

In an Empa research project, study participants rated the noise of new types of aircraft as less annoying than the noise of today's aircraft.
April 9th, 2024
the airship flying over a coast

British company produces climate-friendly airship

According to its developers, the British airship Airlander 10 could take off for commercial flights with passengers from 2028.
April 22nd, 2024